Department for Transport

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information his Department holds on local authority payments to the DVLA.

Andrew Jones: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 February 2017.The correct answer should have been:

Local authorities cover the administrative cost for dealing with requests for vehicle keeper and driver licensing information held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). In the financial year 2015-16, the DVLA received £157,329 £166,704 directly from local authorities. This includes £4,316 £14,352 for vehicle related requests, £102,261 £101,600 for driver related requests and £50,752 for the initial set up costs to enable local authorities to make driver licensing checks electronically.

Andrew Jones: Local authorities cover the administrative cost for dealing with requests for vehicle keeper and driver licensing information held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA). In the financial year 2015-16, the DVLA received £157,329 £166,704 directly from local authorities. This includes £4,316 £14,352 for vehicle related requests, £102,261 £101,600 for driver related requests and £50,752 for the initial set up costs to enable local authorities to make driver licensing checks electronically.

Department for Transport: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

Mr John Hayes: The interchange of ideas and the critical challenge that those with external perspectives, including consultancies and consultants, can bring to policy and delivery of Government priorities is a critical element for good government. Short term expertise can inject targeted support at critical points ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. This department is committed to the benefits that can be brought from the interchange with other sectors, large employers and consultancies. From departmental records the present number of those on secondment to the department is presented in the table below:  PwC0Deloitteless than 5Accenture0McKinsey & Co0Ernst and Young0Bain & Company0

Department for Transport: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

Mr John Hayes: Department for Transport contractors are required to comply with all legal requirements, including TUPE. My department does not hold central records on application of the legislation at individual contract level.

Department for Transport: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

Mr John Hayes: The Government believes that people have the right to a higher wage and not to be punished by higher taxes. As part of this, from April 2016, we introduced a new mandatory National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 25 and above, and this will rise to £7.50 an hour in April 2017. DfT contractors are required to comply with all legal requirements, including payment of the National Minimum Wage and the National Living Wage as applicable. My Department does not have central records to the level of detail as to whether any given contract pays a higher rate.

Department for Transport: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2017 to Question 65407, what the pay grades are of the 679 civil servants of his Department who oversee contracts awarded to external providers.

Mr John Hayes: The pay grades of the 679 civil servants of my Department, who oversee contracts awarded to external providers, range from Executive Officer or equivalent to Senior Civil Servant or equivalent.

Transport: South East

Mrs Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department is providing for the work of the England's Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance to improve rail and road links across the area.

Andrew Jones: On 9 March, the Department announced that it would provide a £625,000 funding contribution to the England’s Economic Heartland Strategic Alliance (EEH). This will enable EEH to support the Government’s aspirations for the Cambridge to Milton Keynes to Oxford corridor. It will do this by providing a clear evidence base to support transport investment decisions in the region, and by helping to ensure that transport infrastructure improvements facilitate economic and housing growth.

Large Goods Vehicles: Alternative Fuels

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent estimate he has made of the number of road haulage vehicles using fuels other than petrol or diesel.

Mr John Hayes: The numbers of goods vehicles licensed for use on UK roads, using petrol, diesel and other fuels as at 30 September 2016 are shown in the table below. Goods vehicles licensed for use on UK roads, as at 30 September 2016 Reported propulsion typeVehicle body typePetrolDieselOtherTotalHeavy Goods Vehicles2,124514,897868517,889Light Goods Vehicles137,5353,741,88714,1853,893,607 Notes DfT statistics based on DVLA registration dataFigures are for all licensed vehicles with a 'goods' body typeHeavy goods = gross weight over 3.5 tonnesVehicles converted from petrol or diesel may be under-recordedOther propulsion types include hybrids, electric, gas, dual fuels etc.

Home Office

Home Office: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many contracts procured by her Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

Sarah Newton: The Home Department does not hold this information centrally.

Hate Crime: Disability

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that those people subject to disability hate crime have the confidence to report offences.

Sarah Newton: This Government is committed to ensuring that disabled people who have experienced hate crime have the confidence to report it. On 26 July last year the Government published a new Hate Crime Action Plan. This outlines the work we will do over the next four years to drive forward action against hate crime in all its forms. The action plan focuses on 5 key areas, one of which is to increase the confidence of victims to report hate crime. 2,508 disability hate crimes were reported to the police in 2014/15 and this increased by 69% to 3,629, in 2015/16. The number of prosecutions for disability hate crimes has also increased by 41% compared with 2014/15. The Government have undertaken, supported and funded a number of activities to increase the confidence of disabled people to report hate crime.

Dog Fighting

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans the Government has to make the offence of dog fighting a specific recordable offence by police to enable more accurate recording and help target resources.

Brandon Lewis: The Government has no plans to make dog fighting a specific recordable offence. Animal fighting is already an offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, and this includes fighting by dogs.

Home Office: Freedom of Information

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average response rate was of her Department to individual Freedom of Information requests in each month since July 2016.

Sarah Newton: The available statistics on the timeliness of Freedom Of Information requests received by the Home Office up to the third quarter of 2016 are published by the Cabinet Office on the GOV.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics

Offences against Children

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when Wiltshire Police will conclude the Operation Conifer inquiry into the late right hon. Sir Edward Heath; to whom and by what mechanism that inquiry will report; and whether that report will be made public.

Brandon Lewis: The police are operationally independent of Government. The duration of Operation Conifer, and arrangements for its conclusion, are operational matters for the Chief Constable of Wiltshire Police.

Police: Road Traffic Control

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many road traffic police officers there were in each year between 2004 and 2014.

Brandon Lewis: The Home Office collects and publishes data annually on the primary function of police officers, as part of the ‘Police workforce, England and Wales’ statistical bulletins. These can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/police-workforce-england-and-wales

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Electronic Conveyancing: Small Businesses

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the proposals in the Land Registry's consultation on amending the Land Registration Rules Act 2003 relating to large-scale electronic conveyancing on (a) all small and medium-sized conveyancing companies and (b) small and medium-sized conveyancing companies based in rural areas with poor internet coverage.

Margot James: The rule changes proposed in the recent consultation are deregulatory. As a consequence, a Regulatory Triage Assessment dated 2 August 2016 was completed and is publicly available(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/590721/Land-Registry-Regulatory-Triage-Assessment.docx). A final stage impact assessment will be submitted to the Regulatory Policy Committee in advance of clearance being sought for the rules to be made. So far as the Rule changes that deal with digital conveyancing are concerned, they are permissive in nature. They would allow, but not force, businesses to use new digital conveyancing and registration services.

Land Registry: Departmental Responsibilities

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the Government has undertaken an assessment of the potential merits of moving responsibility for the Land Registry to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Margot James: The Government announced at Autumn Statement 2016 that it would reform the Land Registry in the public sector. The Government continually reviews all arm’s length bodies and partner organisations to make sure that public services operate efficiently and effectively for customers and the taxpayer.

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what information his Department holds on the expiry date for the planning permission granted for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: The Swansea Bay Tidal Generating Station Order 2015, which granted development consent for the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon project, does not set an expiry date.

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Stephen Kinnock: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if the Government will announce its decision on the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon to the House before announcing it in any other public forum.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Green Investment Bank

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department was aware that the Chair of the UK Green Investment Bank was being considered for other government or commercial roles when it received advice from him on the sale of that bank; and whether his Department made an assessment of the potential effect on that advice of such consideration.

Mr Nick Hurd: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Energy: Taxation

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions he has held with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the structure of the Levy Control Framework for 2021 to 2026.

Jesse Norman: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Manufacturing Industries: Motor Vehicles

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions he has had with key stakeholders in the automotive industry on the effect of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Nick Hurd: We have frequent conversations with key stakeholders in the automotive sector about both the challenges that leaving the EU poses and the opportunities that will become open to us, including through our partnership with the Automotive Council.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

Sir Alan Duncan: Since July 2016, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not had any inward secondments from these companies.

Burma: Human Rights

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing an independent international investigation into the human rights situation in Rakhine state, Burma.

Alok Sharma: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Burma: Human Rights

Valerie Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on an independent international investigation into the human rights situation in Rakhine state, Burma.

Alok Sharma: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

Mr David Jones: Since its creation in July 2016, no contracts procured by DExEU have been covered by TUPE regulations.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted for the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

Mr David Jones: The Government believes that people have the right to a higher wage and not to be punished by higher taxes. As part of this, from April 2016, we introduced a new mandatory National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 25 and above, and this will rise to £7.50 an hour in April 2017. We insist that employers pay at least the National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and above and the National Minimum Wage for those under 25.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

Mr David Jones: The department has sourced a large proportion of experienced staff from across Whitehall and a number of secondees from the private sector and the wider public sector. We are not in a position to give a final total for particular groups of staff as recruitment is ongoing and numbers are regularly changing.

Department for Exiting the European Union: Freedom of Information

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the average response rate was of his Department to individual Freedom of Information requests in each month since July 2016.

Mr David Jones: FOI statistics are Official Statistics and are governed by the standards set out by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) in their Code of Practice. To publish information outside of the release timetable would be a breach of Protocol 2 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.The latest Freedom of Information statistics were published in December 2016 and are available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/freedom-of-information-statistics-july-to-september-2016--2

Brexit

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions his Department has had with (a) the Russell Group and (b) its individual members in preparation for the UK leaving the EU.

Mr David Jones: We continue to set up events all over the country to bring together academics, think tanks, businesses, charities, universities and more. This is a vitally important part of our work to create a national picture of what people want from a deal on exiting the EU.Ministers have met a range of Higher Education Institutions, including through the stakeholder working group Jo Johnson - Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation – has set up. The group includes a number of senior representatives of UK research and innovation organisations, including the Russell Group, to discuss opportunities and issues arising from the UK’s exit from the European Union. This group will work with Government to ensure the UK remains a world leader in research and innovation.

Department for International Development

Yemen: Famine

Ian Murray: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the implications for its policies of the most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Analysis report by the UN and its humanitarian partners on the humanitarian situation in Yemen; and if she will make a statement.

Rory Stewart: The findings of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification analysis highlight the need to respond urgently to the food security crisis and prevent loss of life. In February, the Secretary of State issued a call to the international community to step up their response to the risk of famine in Somalia, South Sudan, Nigeria and Yemen. The UK has led by example, providing emergency humanitarian assistance to over 1 million people in both 2015 and 2016, and hosting a high level international event at the UN General Assembly to shine a spotlight on the forgotten crisis. In this financial year alone, we have provided lifesaving nutrition support to 889,000 women and children and food or food vouchers to 462,000 people so far. We are planning a significant contribution to Yemen in 2017/18.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, if she will place a copy of the Business Case and Operational Plan for the new Support to Palestinian Authority to Deliver Basic Services, Build Stability and Promote Reform in the Occupied Palestinian Territories programme in the Library.

Rory Stewart: The Business Case for the UK's new support to the Palestinian Authority is in the process of publication and will appear on Development Tracker (https://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/) by June.

Department for Education

EU Grants and Loans: Children

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what impact assessment has been made of the changes in EU funds to ensure that children accessing services currently funded by the EU will not be disadvantaged by the UK leaving the EU.

Caroline Dinenage: As part of our preparations for exiting the European Union (EU), the Department for Education, along with all Government Departments, is assessing the impact of EU funds and programmes. The replacement of EU funds following the guarantee period will be based on UK strategic priorities and decisions will be taken in light of other domestic spending priorities.

Children: Day Care

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make provision for administrative costs incurred by nurseries as a result of extending the availability of free childcare.

Caroline Dinenage: We are increasing our annual investment in the free early years entitlements by £1 billion per year by 2019-20. This includes over £300 million a year for a significant increase to Government funding rates. We have also legislated to ensure that local authorities pass the vast majority of Government funding onto providers. This new investment is based on our ‘Review of Childcare Costs’, published in November 2015. The Review explicitly considered providers’ administrative costs and was described by the National Audit Office as “thorough and wide-ranging”. In addition, we are providing £2.15m to local authorities to improve their IT systems to allow more automation of the administrative requirements on providers.

Department for Education: Freedom of Information

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average response rate was of her Department to individual Freedom of Information requests in each month since July 2016.

Caroline Dinenage: The Government publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act within central government. The latest Freedom of Information statistics were published in December 2016 and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/freedom-of-information-statistics-july-to-september-2016--2 FOI statistics are Official Statistics and are governed by the standards set out by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) in their Code of Practice. To publish information outside of the release timetable would be a breach of Protocol 2 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Discrimination: Elections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many times in the last five years her Department has (a) discussed and (b) received reports from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on efforts to address discrimination during election campaigns.

Caroline Dinenage: In 2014, the Government Equalities Office had a number of discussions with the Equality and Human Rights Commission about updating its 2009 Election Guidance in time for the 2015 election. The EHRC subsequently issued the following guidance in March 2015:https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-download/equality-and-human-rights-law-during-election-period-guidance-local-authorities

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Ofsted report, Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 December 2016, what assessment she has made of the effect of the decrease in the number of childminders since August 2016 on the adequacy of provision of childcare.

Caroline Dinenage: Childminders are a valuable part of the childcare sector and we want to see them play a full role in the market. There were 44,000 childminders registered with Ofsted as at 31 December 2016. The total number fell by 700 (1.6%) in the period from August to December 2016, but this is a smaller fall than the 3.5% (1,600) in the previous period (31 March 2016 to 31 August 2016). These falls are partly offset by an increase in the number of early years places childminders offer. The average number of early years places offered by each childminder has increased from 5.1 at 31 August 2012 to 6.1 at 31 December 2016 (this average includes childminders working with assistants). Alongside this, quality has continued to rise, so on 31 December 2016, 91% childminders were judged good or outstanding, up from 89% in August 2016. We are taking a number of steps to encourage more childminders into the market. They can now spend up to half of their time working from non-domestic premises – opening up new partnership opportunities. We have set an expectation that all local authorities should pay childminders monthly. In addition, we recently re-launched the Childcare Business Grant Scheme which provides start up grants to new childminding businesses.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Ofsted report, Childcare providers and inspections as at 31 December 2016, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the reduction in the number of childminders on the roll-out of the 30 hours childcare entitlement.

Caroline Dinenage: 30 hours entitlement is already being delivered in eight Early Implementer areas, with over 4,000 parents already benefitting from this offer. Furthermore, four new councils have signed up to deliver 30 hours childcare offer early, from this April, before it is rolled-out nationally from September. Childminders are a valuable part of the childcare sector and we want to see them play a full role in delivering the 30 hours childcare entitlement. There were 44,000 childminders registered with Ofsted as at 31 December 2016. The total number fell by 700 (1.6%) in the period, but this is a smaller fall than the 3.5% (1,600) in the previous period from August to December 2016. We are pleased that the fall in numbers has slowed, although there is clearly more to do. In our Early Implementer areas, providers have been able to meet the parental demand for 30 hours, with many childminders working in partnership with other providers to deliver a seamless flexible offer.

Ministry of Justice

Life Imprisonment

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2017 to Question 66043, what the average minimum terms were of (a) men and (b) women completing a mandatory life sentence.

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2017 to Question 66043, what the average time served in prison by those on mandatory life sentences was of those who were released from prison in each of the last five years.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The average minimum tariff length of those men and women serving mandatory life in custody as at 31 December 2016, is provided in the table below:  Mean Tariff Length (years)Female15.8 Male17.3  The average number of years served by those serving life sentences is published in table A3.3 of the OMSQ Annual Releases publication: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/563255/prison-releases-2015.xlsx. 2016 figures will be published at the end of April. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Prime Minister

Domestic Visits: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Prime Minister, when she next plans to visit Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Mrs Theresa May: I visit all parts of the United Kingdom regularly. Details of my visits within the United Kingdom are published on the gov.uk website.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Uber

Mr Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how much her Department has spent on (a) Uber for Business and (b) other Uber transactions since 28 October 2016.

Matt Hancock: My department has made no direct payments to Uber for business travel or otherwise.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many contracts procured by her Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

Matt Hancock: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many contracts procured by her Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted for the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

Matt Hancock: The Government believes that people have the right to a higher wage and not to be punished by higher taxes. As part of this, from April 2016, we introduced a new mandatory National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 25 and above, and this will rise to £7.50 an hour in April 2017. We insist that employers pay at least the National Minimum Wage.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many staff have been seconded to her Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

Matt Hancock: DCMS have had no secondments from Deloitte, Accenture, McKinsey & Company, Ernst and Young or Bain and Company since July 2016 to date. There is one secondee from PwC, effective from 8 February 2017- 8 August 2017. They are based in the Office for Civil Society and Innovation who transferred into DCMS from Cabinet Office on the 1 Jan 2017 as part of a Machinery of Government change.

Mobile Phones: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to improve mobile telephone coverage in Pendle.

Matt Hancock: Improving mobile connectivity across the whole of the UK is a priority for the Government. The Ofcom licence obligations arising from the December 2014 agreement mean that the four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have a legally binding obligation for each of them to provide voice/SMS text coverage to at least 90% of the UK’s landmass by end-2017. Additionally Telefonica (O2) has a licence obligation to deliver indoor 4G coverage to 98% of UK premises. The Digital Economy Bill, currently going through Parliament, will give the regulator Ofcom the power to issue large fines to mobile phone companies who fail to meet their licence obligations. The Government's agreement with the MNOs locked in investment of £5 billion and is delivering improved coverage across the UK. Data from Ofcom's 2016 Connected Nations Report shows that over 97% of premises in Lancashire now have indoor voice coverage from at least one MNO, while 96% have indoor 4G data coverage from at least one MNO (73% from all four). Our recent mobile planning reforms for England (November 2016) and proposed reforms of the Electronic Communications Code, will support further investment and improvements in connectivity across the UK and reduce not spots.

Broadcasting: Codes of Practice

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, which broadcasters have been found in breach of the broadcasting code without being sanctioned as a result in the last 10 years; and how many times each of those broadcasters were found in breach of the broadcast code in the last 10 years.

Matt Hancock: Ofcom currently licenses 1,175 television services and 871 radio services. These services are required to comply with the rules in Ofcom’s codes. As set out in Ofcom's last Annual Report, they assessed 23,420 broadcasting complaints between 1 April 2015 and 31 March 2016. During this period, they conducted 205 investigations and recorded 127 breaches of the Broadcasting Code (or other Ofcom codes). Over the past ten years, Ofcom has recorded over 2,500 breaches of the Broadcasting Code. Any further breakdown of this data would require a disproportionate use of resources.

Sky: Codes of Practice

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times Sky Plc has been sanctioned by Ofcom under the broadcast code in the last 10 years.

Matt Hancock: Ofcom has not imposed a statutory sanction (such as a financial penalty) under the Broadcasting Code on Sky Plc or any entity of which we are aware in which it holds shares, in the last 10 years.

21st Century Fox: Codes of Practice

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many times 21st Century Fox has been sanctioned by Ofcom under the broadcast code in the last 10 years.

Matt Hancock: Ofcom has not imposed a statutory sanction (such as a financial penalty) under the Broadcasting Code on 21st Century Fox Inc or any entity of which we are aware in which it holds shares, in the last 10 years.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport: Freedom of Information

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what the average response rate was of her Department to individual Freedom of Information requests in each month since July 2016.

Matt Hancock: FOI statistics are Official Statistics and are governed by the standards set out by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) in their Code of Practice. To publish information outside of the release timetable would be a breach of Protocol 2 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The latest Freedom of Information statistics were published in December 2016 and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/freedom-of-information-statistics-july-to-september-2016--2Background

Broadcasting: Codes of Practice

Nigel Adams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, (a) which broadcasters have been sanctioned by Ofcom under the broadcast code in the last 10 years and (b) how many times each of these broadcasters was sanctioned.

Matt Hancock: The consideration of a sanction follows a decision by Ofcom that a broadcaster has breached a relevant requirement. There are a variety of sanctions available to Ofcom which include, for example, issuing a direction to a broadcaster or imposing a financial penalty. A case will normally be considered for the imposition of a sanction when Ofcom considers that a broadcaster has seriously, deliberately, repeatedly, or recklessly breached a relevant requirement. Ofcom regularly publishes any broadcasting sanctions and regulatory decisions on its website. Since 1 January 2007 Ofcom has imposed 84 sanctions against 57 broadcasters as follows: LicenseeNumber of sanctions30 of GCap Media plc’s ‘One Network’ radio stations1Al Ehya Digital Television Limited2Al Mustakillah Television Limited1ARY Digital UK Limited1Asia TV Limited1Bang Channels Limited and Bang Media (London) Limited1BBA Media Ltd1Biditis Limited1Channel 5 Broadcasting Ltd1Channel Four Television Corporation3Channel S World Limited1Channel Television Ltd4Club TV Limited1Connection Makers Ltd1CSC Media Group Limited1Dama (Liverpool) Limited1Discovery Communications Europe Limited1DM Digital Television Limited4DM Global Media Limited1E Entertainment UK Limited1ESPN (Europe, Middle East, Africa) Limited1Gamecast UK Limited1GMTV Ltd1Granada Television Limited1International Television Channel Europe Limited1Islam Channel Limited1ITV Broadcasting Limited1ITV2 Limited1Just4Us TV Limited and Playboy TV UK/ Benelux Limited1Lakeland Radio Limited1Leith Community Mediaworks Ltd1Life Show-Case Ltd1Life TV Media Ltd1LWT (Holdings) Limited2Majestic TV Limited1Mohiuddin Digital Television Limited1More FM Ltd (formerly One Gold Radio Ltd)1MTV Networks Europe1Neath Port Talbot Broadcasting CIC1Playboy TV UK/Benelux Limited1Portland Enterprises (C.I.) Limited1Press TV Limited1Radio Asian Fever Community Interest Company1Regis 1 Limited1RHF Productions & Portland Enterprises1Satellite Entertainment Limited4Springdoo Media and User Generated Broadcasting1Square 1 Management Limited2St Albans and Watford Broadcasting Limited1Sunrise TV Ltd1Takbeer TV Limited1TalkSPORT Limited1Teletext Limited1The British Broadcasting Corporation (“the BBC”)13The Light Academy Limited1Venus TV Ltd1Voice of Africa Radio Limited2

Cybercrime

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2017 to Question 63984, how the Cyber Essentials scheme offers protection to organisations compliant with the scheme in the event that third party organisations that provide (a) email, (b) cloud storage and (c) other similar services to compliant organisations are themselves not compliant with that scheme.

Matt Hancock: The Cyber Essentials scheme sets out the basic technical controls which all organisations relying on the internet should have in place to prevent common online attacks. The scheme enables organisations themselves to determine which technologies are in scope of their Cyber Essentials assessment: this would not normally include any third party organisations. The Government recognises the importance of third party risk management and will continue to consider how the Cyber Essentials standard can be improved to better account for cloud based services. In addition, the Government is working with industry to ensure businesses encourage the firms in their supply chains to adopt Cyber Essentials where necessary and appropriate.

Department for Work and Pensions

Department for Work and Pensions: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

Caroline Nokes: All contracts have agreed standard terms and conditions and these include obligations related to provision of TUPE. The total number of contracts for the years 12/13, 13/14, and 14/15 is 932.

Department for Work and Pensions: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

Caroline Nokes: The interchange of ideas and the critical challenge that those with external perspectives, including consultancies and consultants, can bring to policy and delivery of Government priorities is a critical element for good government. We do not record centrally the organisations from which people are seconded into the department. This information, therefore, could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Work and Pensions: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2017 to Question 65535, on procurement, at what pay grades the 83 contract managers are employed.

Caroline Nokes: There are now 88 Contract managers. The Pay grade breakdown is as follows: Executive Officer (EO) – 2 Higher Executive Officer (HEO) – 22 Senior Executive Officer (SEO) – 33 Grade 7 – 28 Grade 6 – 3

Jobcentres: East Ham

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of increased journey times and travel costs for people currently using East Ham jobcentre of its closure.

Damian Hinds: We have sought to to minimise the impact on claimants travel as far as possible. The new site at Barking is 1.6 miles from the existing site and Jobcentre Plus is able to reimburse travel costs for those claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance or the equivalent claimants in Universal Credit for any attendance above their fortnightly signing appointment. In addition, those claiming Employment and Support Allowance and Income Support are not generally required to attend their local Jobcentre regularly. Throughout our planning we calculated distances and journey times to Barking using a variety of methods to ensure accuracy, including online tools and timetables, information collected on local public transport routes, and input and scrutiny from local DWP staff and management. Rather than assess the travel time from customers’ homes to their current and proposed new Jobcentre, we have focused instead on the distances between existing and proposed Jobcentre locations to help customers better understand any differences in distance. This is to reflect the fact that people who travel to the Jobcentre will use whichever type of transport suits their personal circumstances, they may not be starting their journey from their home, and not all those who use our services are claimants. In addition, throughout the development of these proposals, the department has been mindful of the impact on staff and customers as part of its duties under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. Statistical analysis of the potential impact of the proposals on people with the protected characteristics has informed high-level decision-making so far. As we obtain further local, site-specific information we will ensure any issues identified are also taken fully into consideration when the final decisions are made.

State Retirement Pensions: Overseas Residence

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with which overseas banks located in which countries his Department is working on overseas state pension fraud and error.

Richard Harrington: The Department combats overseas state pension fraud and error by means of data matching and life certificates. DWP continues to explore how to extend and improve existing data matching arrangements. However, at present, the Department does not have any formal arrangements with overseas banks regarding notifications of death. On occasions, DWP will receive notification from an overseas bank informing the Department that a payment has been rejected because of the death of a payee.

Disability: Employment

Deidre  Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect on disability employment of reductions to the work-related activity group component of employment and support allowance; and whether the Government will reconsider that measure if the disability employment gap widens as a result.

Penny Mordaunt: The Government published its assessment of the impacts of the change to the work-related activity component on 20 July 2015. http://www.parliament.uk/documents/impact-assessments/IA15-006B.pdf. The Government remains committed to halving the disability employment gap as set out in the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper published on 31st October 2016 and we have seen nearly 600,000 more working age disabled people in employment over the past three years.

Department for Work and Pensions: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

Caroline Nokes: DWP does not have any contracts which require the contractor to pay a specific wage. From April 2016 the Government introduced a new mandatory National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 25 and above, and this will rise to £7.50 an hour in April 2017. All employers must pay at least the National Minimum Wage.

Self-employed: Sick Pay

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether the Government plans to improve access to sick pay for the self-employed.

Penny Mordaunt: Matthew Taylor’s Independent Review of Modern Employment Practices will look at the impact of non-standard forms of employment on security, pay and rights such as sick pay and the Government will consider any recommendations his report may make with regards to sick pay entitlement. The Government is supporting self-employed people by extending, from April 2017, the New Enterprise Allowance to include an offer of mentoring support for self-employed Universal Credit (UC) claimants to help them grow their existing business. This Department is also working closely with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to ensure it delivers a joined up service and identifies local and national provision available to support those in existing self-employment or those who wish to start a new business.

Personal Independence Payment

Corri Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria his Department uses to determine eligibility for recorded home assessments for personal independence payment; what support his Department provides for vulnerable claimants who require home assessments; and what processes are undertaken by his Department to consider the evidence from recorded home assessments.

Corri Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what advice his Department issues to personal independence payment claimants on their right to have a recorded home assessment.

Penny Mordaunt: Any claimant can request a home consultation for Personal Independence Payment, however a claimant may specifically require a home consultation where their diagnosis suggests extreme difficulty travelling to an assessment due to their health condition or impairment. All PIP claimants are entitled to use their own equipment to record assessments, within an assessment centre or at their home. This equipment should meet DWP standards. You can find standards for recording PIP assessments, for each Assessment Provider, on their respective websites, or by using the following links: Atos: http://www.atoshealthcare.com/pip/faq_view/recording_my_consultationCapita: http://www.capita-pip.co.uk/en/assessment-process.html The Health Professional does not need to separately consider the recording of a recorded assessment, as they will have conducted the assessment themselves and produced a report; however a copy the recording will be held securely for 14 months following. The Department will consider evidence from the recorded home assessment report in the same way it considers all PIP assessments; by treating people as individuals, considering the impact of their impairment or health condition on their everyday life and how each claimant has personally adapted to living with a disability.

Social Security Benefits: Medical Records

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the effect full online medical record access for patients will have on the efficiency of processing employment and support allowance and personal independence payments applications.

Penny Mordaunt: Claimants are encouraged to provide all evidence they have that is relevant to their case at the outset of their claim, including evidence from their GP or other professionals, such as support workers, carers and community mental health nurses, to ensure advice provided to Decision Makers is of a suitable quality to support a good standard of decision making. As part of the Work, Health and Disability Green Paper we are looking at ways to simplify and streamline benefit assessments, including our use of digital services and our ability to use and share appropriate data.

Unemployed People: Advisory Services

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what further steps he plans to take to encourage Jobcentre Plus to refer jobseekers to local charity and voluntary groups which offer advice and support to help those seeking a job.

Damian Hinds: DWP offers jobseekers a comprehensive range of support to best meet the needs of the jobseeker and the local labour market. If Jobcentre Plus considers it appropriate, they will refer a jobseeker to a charity, a voluntary organisation or any other body that provides support.

Personal Independence Payment: Epilepsy

Mr Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the daily living activity 3 of the personal independence payment assessment, how many people with epilepsy have scored points on descriptors c, d, e or f for (a) new claims and (b) disability living allowance reassessments in (i) each of the three years before and (ii) the period since November 2016.

Penny Mordaunt: The two tables below give statistics on the number of people with main disabling condition epilepsy who scored c, d, e or f on Activity 3 (“Managing therapy/Monitoring a health condition”) of their assessment for Personal Independence payment (PIP) for both new claimants and DLA reassessments. Table 1 – Number of new claimants each calendar year that scored c, d, e or f on Activity 3 of their PIP assessmentNew claims2013201420152016 (to 31st October)1st November 2016-28th February 2017Number scoring c, d, e or f on Activity 304020100 Table 2 – Number of DLA reassessment claimants each calendar year that scored c, d, e or f on Activity 3 of their PIP assessmentDLA Reassessments201420152016 (to 31st October)1st November 2016-28th February 2017Number scoring c, d, e or f on Activity 340405010 Data beyond 28th February 2017 is not readily available; preparing it would require us to link together several complex datasets and take steps to assure the quality of the results.

Maternity benefits

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many days on average it takes between receipt of an application by his Department from an applicant habitually resident in the UK and the date of first payment of (a) maternity grant, (b) maternity allowance and (c) maternity pay.

Damian Hinds: a) Average Actual Clearance Times (AACT) figures for Sure Start Maternity Grants (SSMGs) are published in Section 4.11 of the Annual Report by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the Social Fund 2015-16 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/552482/social-fund-annual-report-2015-2016.pdf These figures show the time from receipt of application to the payment being released. In 2015-16, this was 3.54 days. It then takes 3 working days to arrive in the claimant’s bank account. Before a person can qualify for SSMG they have to be in receipt of a qualifying benefit. In order for the qualifying benefit to be paid, the claimant would need to have passed the Habitual Residence test for that qualifying benefit. Therefore all claimants in receipt of SSMG are habitually resident.  b) The Average Actual Clearance Time (AACT) for Maternity Allowance (MA) for 2015/16 was 9.76 days. This shows the average time between receipt of the MA1 claim form and the decision to entitlement. The time taken to payment will depend on the circumstances of each case. The mother can apply for MA once she is 26 weeks pregnant. Payment can start any time between 11 weeks before the baby is due and the day after the baby is born, and is made when the mother leaves work. c) Women wishing to claim Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) do so directly to their employer and are paid SMP as part of their pay. DWP does not deal with these cases, and holds no information on timescales for payment. Habitual residence is not a qualifying condition for SMP or MA, entitlement to which is based on employment, earnings and National Insurance Contributions.

Personal Independence Payment

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many applications for personal independence payments have been successful upon first assessment or reassessment since 2013.

Penny Mordaunt: The latest available data on personal independence payment (PIP) including clearances split by clearance type indicator and Re-assessment indicator, can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dogs: Imports

Mr Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 February 2017 to Question 63358, on dogs: imports, how many dogs were imported into the UK from each country for (a) non-commercial reasons and (b) commercial reasons under the Pet Travel Scheme in 2016.

George Eustice: Information regarding the stated country of origin of dogs entering GB for non-commercial reasons, supplied by the carriers, is presented in Annex A. We are currently working with carriers to ensure accuracy of all information collated.   Details of the country of origin of dogs entering GB for commercial reasons in 2016 can be extracted from the EU TRACES database, and is presented in Annex B. 



Annex A
(PDF Document, 207.8 KB)




Annex B
(PDF Document, 270.81 KB)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff have been seconded to her Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

George Eustice: The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, have had no secondees from PwC, Deloitte, Accenture, McKinsey & Co, Ernst and Young or Bain & Company since July 2016.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many contracts procured by her Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted for the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

George Eustice: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many contracts procured by her Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

George Eustice: The information requested is not collated centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost

Agriculture

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the cost to her Department of maintaining agricultural sector funding at Pillar 1 levels under the Common Agricultural Policy from when the UK leaves the EU until 2020; and if she will make a statement.

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the financial effect on farming by 2020 if funding currently provided under Pillar 1 of the Common Agricultural Policy is withdrawn when the UK leaves the EU.

George Eustice: The annual value of the Pillar 1 budget fluctuates with currency movements but the budget for the 2016 scheme year for the UK was circa £2.7bn. It is too early to calculate the equivalent value for the 2019/2020 scheme year.

Flood Control

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many flood defence schemes her Department has funded in each month since 2015; and if she will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Environment Agency does not fund flood and coastal risk management schemes on a monthly basis. These schemes are funded through the 6 year capital investment programme, which runs between April 2015 and March 2021 and will deliver over 1,500 flood defence schemes, better protecting more than 300,000 homes from flooding.   Since April 2015, on average 696 schemes are in progress every month.   The delivery of the programme is monitored continuously and funding is reviewed annually. The latest 6 year capital investment programme is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/programme-of-flood-and-coastal-erosion-risk-management-schemes.

Agriculture: Apprentices

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what estimate her Department has made of the number of apprenticeship starts in the food, farming and agri-tech sectors in each year since 2010; and if she will make a statement.

George Eustice: The table below shows apprenticeship starts in each year since 2010/11. This is based on the number of starts under the Food Manufacture, Agriculture and Horticulture frameworks. The Apprenticeships Levy, being introduced in April, is expected to drive a further increase in apprenticeship numbers.   In the next few years, frameworks are being replaced by employer-led standards. The food and farming industry is developing such standards which will better meet the needs of the industry.2010/112011/122012/132013/142014/152015/16Food, farming and agri-tech apprenticeship starts 4,870 7,280 7,180 6,200 5,890 7,160

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to prevent the cattle-to-cattle spread of tuberculosis; and what funding has been made available for such prevention.

George Eustice: TB cattle controls are the cornerstone of our TB eradication strategy and we continuously look for opportunities to enhance them. In April 2016, we introduced compulsory post-movement testing in the Low Risk Area (LRA) of England to reduce the risk of disease spread from cattle with undisclosed infection.

Ivory: Sales

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government's proposed consultation on the domestic ivory trade will commence.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 March 2017.The correct answer should have been:

We intend to consult on our proposals on ivory this year.We will be consulting on our proposals in this area shortly.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We intend to consult on our proposals on ivory this year.We will be consulting on our proposals in this area shortly.

Bovine Tuberculosis: Disease Control

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that no healthy badgers are inadvertently culled.

George Eustice: Trials have shown that reducing the badger population can help reduce the spread of bovine TB. Tests carried out during the Randomised Badger Culling Trial showed that roughly a third of badgers in the high risk area were infected with TB.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Communities and Local Government: Migrant Workers

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many and what proportion of people employed by his Department are from other EU countries.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Department has a responsibility to carry out national identity checks during both the application and pre-appointment stage of the recruitment process. There is no requirement to retain this information beyond the point at which it has served its purpose and as such this information is not held.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

Mr Marcus Jones: None.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted for the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government wants to move from a low wage, high tax, high welfare society to a higher wage, lower tax, lower welfare society. As part of this, from April 2016, we introduced a new mandatory National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 25 and above.

Department for Communities and Local Government: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE) applies to employees of businesses in the UK, and may come into effect when a business changes owner, or when service provision changes.

Non-domestic Rates: Pendle

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 4.5 of the Spring Budget 2017, what share of the £300 million in discretionary relief for business rate individual hard cases will be provided to businesses in Pendle constituency.

Mr Marcus Jones: My Department is currently consulting on the £300 million discretionary relief scheme. As part of the consultation the Government published details of the provisional allocations by local authority. Details of the consultation and allocations are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/discretionary-business-rates-relief-scheme

Non-domestic Rates: Public Houses

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 3.17 of the Spring Budget 2017, what estimate he has made of how many pubs will qualify for the £1,000 business rate discount in (a) Leeds East constituency, (b) Leeds and (c) Yorkshire.

Mr Marcus Jones: At the Budget on 8 March the Chancellor announced a new relief scheme for pubs with a rateable value below £100,000. Under the scheme, eligible pubs will receive a £1000 discount on rate bills. My Department will shortly consult on guidance which will include proposals on the eligibility criteria and other aspects of the scheme.

Non-domestic Rates: Yorkshire and the Humber

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to paragraph 3.16 of the Spring Budget 2017, what estimate he has made of how much of the (a) £435 million of further support for businesses facing significant increases in bills from the English business rates system and (b) £300 million discretionary relief to allow councils to provide support to individual hard cases in their local areas will be allocated to (i) Leeds East constituency, (ii) Leeds and (iii) Yorkshire.

Mr Marcus Jones: The Government has published a consultation on the £300 million discretionary relief scheme announced at the Spring Budget 2017. The consultation sets out a proposed allocation methodology and indicative allocations for individual billing authorities. The consultation is available at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/discretionary-business-rates-relief-schemeThe additional support for businesses losing small business rate relief and the new discount for pubs will be available to all eligible businesses in each billing authority.

Tenancy Agreements: Domestic Violence

Kate Hollern: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Statement of Lord Bourne of Ashworth of 1 July 2016 on Security of Tenure, domestic violence, when he plans to set out the circumstances under which local authorities may exercise discretion in transferring lifetime tenancies for those seeking escape from domestic violence.

Gavin Barwell: We will set out the circumstances in which councils can continue to grant lifetime tenancies in regulations and we aim to lay the regulations later this year.

Licensed Premises: Non-domestic Rates

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether (a) restaurants and (b) wine bars will be eligible for the £1,000 business rate discount for public houses announced in paragraph 4.5 of the Spring Budget 2017.

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many businesses in Wimbledon constituency will be eligible for the £1,000 business rate discount for public houses announced in paragraph 4.5 of the Spring Budget 2017.

Mr Marcus Jones: At the Budget on 8 March the Chancellor announced a new relief scheme for pubs with a rateable value below £100,000. Under the scheme, eligible pubs will receive a £1000 discount on rate bills. My Department will shortly consult on guidance which will include proposals on the eligibility criteria and other aspects of the scheme.

Non-domestic Rates: Newham

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much discretionary relief for business rates hard cases will be available to businesses in the London Borough of Newham.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 21 March 2017



The Government has published a consultation on the £300 million discretionary relief scheme announced at the Spring Budget 2017. The consultation sets out a proposed allocation methodology and indicative allocations for individual billing authorities, and can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/discretionary-business-rates-relief-scheme

Non-domestic Rates: East Ham

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department has made of the number of businesses that will pay (a) higher and (b) lower rates in East Ham constituency following the business rates revaluation.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 21 March 2017



The effect of the revaluation on properties in East Ham constituency will depend on the specific circumstances and location of the relevant properties, including their changing entitlement to business rate reliefs.

Non-domestic Rates: Newham

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much was paid in rates by businesses in the London Borough of Newham in the most recent year for which data is available; and what he expects the total amount paid to be following revaluation.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 21 March 2017



This data is not held centrally.

Refuges

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of availability of domestic violence refuges for women.

Mr Marcus Jones: Holding answer received on 21 March 2017



On the 17 February the Prime Minister announced plans for a major new programme of work leading towards bringing forward a Domestic Violence and Abuse Act.Domestic abuse is a devastating crime and we are determined to ensure that people, regardless of their circumstances, receive the support they need when they need it. In our Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, we dedicated £40 million of extra funding to support victims of domestic abuse.Local areas are best placed to understand local needs and the Government has devolved power and responsibility for meeting those needs accordingly. However, we expect local areas to do the right thing and provide services that are responsive to the needs of victims fleeing from domestic abuse. Local areas should assess their need for domestic abuse services and make decisions on the provision of refuges and support to fit the identified needs for all domestic abuse victims, both from within and outside their local area.The Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy is clear that, because this provision is so critical, we will review this approach after two years to ensure it is delivering the best possible service.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Training

James Heappey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the indemnity provided by his Department to private land owners who make their land available for military training activities provides full cover to ensure the land area has no liability for claims arising from such training.

Mark Lancaster: Where appropriate and when requested, indemnity is provided by the Ministry of Defence to all private land owners who make their land available for military training activities.This covers the land owner to the full extent of the Department's liabilities against all claims, actions, proceedings, demands, costs or expenses which may be incurred by or made against the landowner or any other third party.This Indemnity will not cover circumstances where there has been any act of negligence by the landowner.

Navy: Recruitment

Steven Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what recruitment methods and incentives his Department is using to recruit engineers and warfighting specialists to the Royal Navy.

Mike Penning: The Royal Navy is constantly evolving its recruitment marketing methods, using specific advertising campaigns, web based media, radio, social media, print and appearances at recruitment events.To address the issue of recruitment to technical specialisations the Royal Navy employs a range of mechanisms to attract and develop such recruits including apprenticeship schemes and staged remunerative awards, as well as an active engagement in a University Technical Colleges affiliation programme aimed at assisting in the development of technically able young people.

Ministry of Defence: Freedom of Information

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the average response rate was of his Department to individual Freedom of Information requests in each month since July 2016.

Mark Lancaster: The Government publishes statistics on the operation of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) 2000 within central Government, including timeliness, on a quarterly basis. The figures for requests received from July to September 2016 have been published at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/government-foi-statistics.The figures for October to December 2016 are to be published shortly and those for January to March 2017 are yet to be compiled. FOI statistics are Official Statistics and are governed by the standards set out by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) in their Code of Practice. To publish information outside of the release timetable would be a breach of Protocol 2 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Armed Forces: Cadets

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much of his Department's budget is spent on cadet forces; and how much of that amount is spent on (a) fee-paying and (b) state schools.

Mark Lancaster: The latest assessment of the cost to Defence of funding the four Ministry of Defence (MOD) sponsored Cadet Forces was for Financial Year (FY) 2013-14 when the total was £179.15 million. This figure includes a cost of £30.144 million for delivering the Combined Cadet Force in schools; however, the MOD does not hold information in a format which would allow a ready breakdown of this figure between fee-paying and state schools. The figures provided include the costs of wider training infrastructure, capital expense, regional support and Headquarters costs.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Steven Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many pilots his Department plans to train to operate P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft in each of the next 10 years.

Mike Penning: I am withholding this information as providing planned numbers would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the Armed Forces. However, the P8-A programme will train sufficient pilots to deliver operational requirements.

Maritime Patrol Aircraft

Steven Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many RAF pilots are trained to operate P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.

Mike Penning: There are currently seven RAF pilots who have been trained to operate P8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft, as at 20 March 2017.

Armed Forces: Communication

Steven Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what estimate his Department has made of savings accrued to the public purse by his Department no longer printing out messages for soldiers while on operation.

Mark Lancaster: The new service for enabling communication between Service personnel on operations and their families and friends is being introduced on 1 April 2017. Printed messages will still be provided to deployed personnel and any savings made will be reinvested into the improvement and development of the welfare services available to deployed personnel, such as increased Wi-Fi capabilities.

EU Defence Policy

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with his European counterpart on the post of EU Operation Commander; and whether the UK plans to retain that post after the UK leaves the EU.

Mike Penning: On 6 March 2017, at the Foreign Affairs Council (Defence), EU Member States agreed to establish the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) for non-executive military missions only. The MPCC will be part of the existing EU Military Staff and its current Director General will also be the Director of the MPCC - there is no such post as EU Operations Commander in Brussels, these roles exist only in the field leading individual operations and missions. The UK has ensured that the MPCC to be set up is limited in size and scope, avoiding duplication with NATO and minimising costs. It will be for the remaining EU Member States to decide how the capability continues after we leave the EU.

World War II: Military Decorations

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason the evidential thresholds to qualify for the Arctic Star and the Arctic Emblem differ.

Mike Penning: The Arctic Emblem (AE) was commissioned in 2006 to recognise the service of Armed Forces veterans who served in the Arctic Region between 3 September 1939 and 8 May 1945. The Arctic Star was instituted in 2012 following the first part of Sir John Holmes’ independent review into the rules and principles governing the award of military campaign medals. The Arctic Star adopted the AE’s criteria. The two awards have a different evidential basis for eligibility which reflects their differing status. Although an official award instituted by the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the AE was never intended to have the status of an official medal; greater latitude in assessing applications was deemed acceptable and a greater reliance placed on the accuracy of veterans’ or their next of kin’s accounts or recollections. Once the Arctic Star had been formally instituted as an official British Military Medal, applications were necessarily assessed by the MOD Medal Office with the same degree of rigour as is, and always has been, applied to the other World War II Stars and Medals.

Public Interest Lawyers

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he reported Public Interest Lawyers to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Mike Penning: Following his statement to the House on 17 December 2014 (Official Report, column 1407) on the Al-Sweady Inquiry Report, the Defence Secretary directed that evidence be submitted to the Solicitors Regulation Authority concerning potential breaches of professional standards by Public Interest lawyers and Leigh Day and Co.

Iraq: Military Intervention

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 14 March 2017 to Question 67238, whether the Government has made any payments, not including compensation, to  (a) Nassir Abd Al Zahra Al Zayi Al-Tamini, (b) Hussein Ali Kazhin Zabayain Al-Maliki, (c) A'la or Dhia Jabbar Al-Khazhair/Okthair, (d) Muhammad Hatu Karim Al-Garizi, (e) Musa Isma'il Al-Fartusi and (f) Nabil Al-Mawzani.

Mike Penning: No payments have been made by the Ministry of Defence to the individuals named.

Abu Jamal

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reasons his Department's payments to Abu Jamal ceased in July 2016 when the instruction was given to stop such payments in April 2016.

Mike Penning: The Iraq Historic Allegations Team made no payments to Abu Jamal after 9 March 2016, except for work which had already been agreed prior to that date. The then Minister of State for the Armed Forces (Penny Mordaunt) confirmed to the House on 18 April 2016 (Official Report, column 641) that no agent used by Leigh Day or Public Interest Lawyers would in future be paid from public money, on the grounds that it was not an acceptable use of public funds.

Abu Jamal

Johnny Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when and how he was made aware that Abu Jamal was instructed by Public Interest Lawyers.

Mike Penning: Following a media report in January 2016, Ministers sought advice on whether Abu Jamal was instructed by Public Interest Lawyers.

HM Treasury

Stamp Duty Land Tax

Mrs Anne Main: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how the new rates for stamp duty land tax for first-time buyers and second-home owners have been calculated; and what estimate he has made of the effect of those new rates on the housing market.

Jane Ellison: The rates and structure of Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is set out in the below table. There are higher rates of SDLT for the purchase of additional residential properties. The higher rates are 3 percentage points above the standard SDLT rates and the latest HM Revenue and Customs data indicates that the revenue generated from the higher rates will exceed what was originally forecast when the policy was announced. An individual purchasing their first property will be subject to the standard rates of SDLT. As with all taxes, the Government keeps the SDLT regime under review.Purchase price of propertyStandard rate paid on portion of price within each bandHigher rates paid on portion of price within each bandUp to £125,0000%3%Over £125,000 and up to £250,0002%5%Over £250,000 and up to £925,0005%8%Over £925,000 and up to £1,500,00010%13%Over £1,500,00012%15%

Credit Cards: Fees and Charges

Mrs Madeleine Moon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) airline and (b) other companies that charge over the 0.3 per cent cap for credit card transactions.

Simon Kirby: The Payment Systems Regulator is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Interchange Fee Regulation in the UK and for taking enforcement action where appropriate. Government has therefore not made an analysis of the number of companies that do not comply with the Regulation. The Interchange Fee Regulation (IFR) caps the fees that a merchant acquirer can be charged by a card issuing bank at 0.2% and 0.3% for debit and credit cards respectively. This cost can be passed on to consumers through the practice of surcharging. The Government recently closed a consultation on how the revised Payment Services Directive should be implemented in the UK. One of the provisions in the Directive is a ban on merchants surcharging cards regulated under the IFR. The interchange fee is part of the merchant service charge that a merchant pays to its bank or merchant acquirer to process its card transactions

Treasury: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2017 to Question 65005, what the pay grades are of the 89 civil servants of his Department who manage external contracts.

Simon Kirby: The earlier reported number of 89 has been corrected (separately) to reflect 86 civil servants managing external contracts. The pay grades of the civil servants referred to in the response of 2 March 2017 range from Range C (Executive Officer equivalent) to Range F (Senior Civil Servant Pay Band 1 equivalent), please see the table below with the breakdown. RangeVolumeC4D34E43F5

Press Recognition Panel: Finance

Ben Howlett: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he has received a request from the Press Recognition Panel for additional funding under the terms of the Royal Charter on Self-Regulation of the Press.

Mr David Gauke: The Chancellor of the Exchequer has not received a request from the Press Recognition Panel for additional funding.

Adoption Allowances: Self-employed

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to develop an adoption allowance similar to maternity allowance for self-employed people who adopt a child as a result of the rise in Class 4 national insurance contributions.

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to develop a paternity allowance similar to maternity allowance for self-employed fathers as a result of the rise in Class 4 national insurance contributions.

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the rise in Class 4 national insurance contributions will result in the self-employed having increased access to contribution-based job seeker's allowance.

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans for self-employed mothers to have access to statutory maternity pay as a result of the rise in Class 4 national insurance contributions.

Jane Ellison: As the Chancellor announced in his statement to the House of Commons on the 15th of March, the Government will no longer be proceeding with the changes announced at Spring Budget 2017 to increase Class 4 National Insurance contributions (NICs) in April 2018 and April 2019. The Government will consult over the summer on options to address differences in parental benefits – the principal outstanding difference between employed and self-employed people that NICs provide access to.

Employment and Support Allowance: Self-employed

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the rise in Class 4 national insurance contributions will result in the self-employed having increased access to contribution-based employment support allowance.

Jane Ellison: As the Chancellor announced in his statement to the House of Commons on the 15th of March, the Government will no longer be proceeding with the changes announced at Spring Budget 2017 to increase Class 4 National Insurance contributions (NICs) in April 2018 and April 2019. The self-employed already have entitlement to contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance through payment of Class 2 NICs. The abolition of Class 2 NICs will continue as announced in April 2018 but self-employed individuals can continue to gain access to contributory benefits based on a profits test in Class 4 NICs. Full details are available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/573606/abolishing_class_2_NICs_response_web.pdf

National Insurance Contributions: Self-employed

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the Government plans to introduce a measure comparable to employer national insurance contributions to provide an equivalent provision to such existing contributions for the self-employed on account of the lack of such equivalent provision driving bogus self-employment and in reducing access to benefits for the self-employed.

Rachel Reeves: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the effect on the public purse of bogus self-employment arising from there being no equivalent provision to employer national insurance contributions for self-employed.

Jane Ellison: The Government takes false self-employment very seriously and is committed to taking action to tackle this. Where companies are thought to have misclassified individuals, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will take steps to ensure that the appropriate tax, NICs, interest and penalties are paid. An estimate of the effect on Exchequer of false self-employment is not available. HMRC publish estimates of the tax gap in ‘Measuring Tax Gaps’ each year. The latest estimates of the tax gap can be accessed at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/measuring-tax-gaps Separate information on the tax gap from false self-employment is not available. National Insurance contribution rate increases have been ruled out for the remainder of this Parliament. The Government looks forward to the outcome of the Matthew Taylor report into modern employment practices to inform the Government’s review into employment practices in the modern economy.

Income Tax

Justin Tomlinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in (a) North Swindon, (b) the South West and (c) the UK have seen a reduction in their income tax liability since May 2010; and what estimate he has made of the number of people who will experience such a reduction as a result of measures announced in the Spring Budget 2017.

Justin Tomlinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people in (a) North Swindon constituency, (b) the South West and (c) the UK have been removed from paying income tax between May 2010 and the latest date for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the number of people so removed as a result of measures announced in the Spring Budget 2017.

Jane Ellison: Over the last Parliament, increases to the personal allowance since 2010-11 are estimated to have reduced the income tax liability of 28 million individuals in the UK in 2015-16. This includes taking 4 million of the lowest paid out of income tax altogether. The corresponding figures for the South West, which includes the Parliamentary Constituency of North Swindon, are 2.4 million and 344,000 respectively. Since the start of this Parliament, further increases to the personal allowance (up to £11,500 in 2017-18) and higher rate threshold (up to £45,000 in 2017-18) are expected to cut income tax for 31million individuals in the UK in 2017-18. This includes taking 1.3 million of the lowest paid out of income tax altogether. The corresponding figures for the South West, which includes the Parliamentary Constituency of North Swindon, are 2.7 million and 116,000 respectively. These estimates are based on the 2013-14 Survey of Personal Incomes, projected using economic assumptions consistent with the Office for Budget Responsibility’s March 2016 economic and fiscal outlook. HM Treasury does not publish this information at constituency level, nor does it hold information on the numbers experiencing a service reduction. There were no measures announced at the Spring Budget 2017 which reduced income tax liabilities or removed individuals from paying income tax.

Corporation Tax

Mike Kane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether when considering rates of UK corporation tax it is his Department's policy to take into account the spillover effect that a reduction in the UK's rate of corporation tax would have on other countries.

Jane Ellison: The Government is cutting the rate of corporation tax to 17% by 2020 to deliver a tax system that better supports growth and innovation. The Government has no current plans to conduct a spillover analysis. The Government is committed to a competitive and fair tax system, and has led international efforts to tackle tax evasion and avoidance while supporting developing countries to implement tax reforms.

Multinational Companies: Tax Avoidance

Mike Kane: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he has taken to deter UK-headquartered multinational companies from using tax havens to avoid paying tax in developing countries.

Jane Ellison: The UK has been at the forefront of the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Project to address the issue of multinational companies shifting profits to low or no tax locations where there is little or no economic activity. We have been participating in the ‘Inclusive Framework on BEPS Implementation’, which brings together 94 developed countries and developing countries to implement the BEPS outcomes. Through the G20 we have commissioned toolkits to assist developing countries in implementation. We have also funded assistance to help developing country tax authorities tackle tax avoidance by multinational companies, such as supporting the OECD’s Tax Inspectors Without Borders initiative, which has raised over $260 million additional revenue for developing countries.

Income Tax

Justin Tomlinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to include the value of annual changes in income tax on individuals' payslips.

Justin Tomlinson: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to include the value of annual changes in income tax to an individual on annual tax summaries.

Jane Ellison: Information on income tax is provided through annual tax summaries. Around 30 million people received a personal tax summary for the 2015-16 tax year from HM Revenue and Customs. The summary sets out how their income tax and National Insurance contributions have been calculated for that year, and how it contributed to public expenditure. Tax summaries also show taxpayers their taxable income and average tax rate. Tax summaries have been issued for the last three years and individuals are able to compare one year’s tax record with another and see how increases in the personal allowance affect their bill. Since 2010-11, the personal allowance has increased by over 60%, cutting the income tax liability of 28 million individuals in the UK.

Tenants: Taxation

Derek Thomas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the tenant tax on private landlords in terms of (a) rental income and (b) property standards.

Jane Ellison: With regard to restricting financial cost relief for landlords, it is estimated that only 1 in 5 landlords will pay more tax as a result of this measure. Given that only a small proportion of the housing market is affected by this change, the Government does not expect it to have a large impact on rent levels. Landlords are required to maintain their properties to a legal minimum standard. The reform to the wear and tear allowance means that all landlords will now be able to offset the costs of replacing furnishings in their properties removing the previous disincentive to do so.

Apprentices: Taxation

Angela Rayner: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost of the apprenticeship levy will be to schools in each fiscal year from 2017-18 to 2021-22.

Jane Ellison: The information document on the apprenticeship levy published by the Department for Education shows a sectoral breakdown of levy paying employers based on HM Revenue and Customs administrative data (page 4). The estimated cost for the education sector as a whole is valued at £385m for 2017-18. The document is available on Gov.uk:https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/545145/Apprenticeships_-expected_levy_and_total_spend_-_Aug_2016.pdf It is not possible to produce a robust estimate of the cost of the apprenticeship levy for schools alone using the same data.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Freedom of Information

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what his Department's average response rate was to individual Freedom of Information requests in each month from July 2016 to date.

David Mundell: FOI statistics are Official Statistics and are governed by the standards set out by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) in their Code of Practice. To publish information outside of the release timetable would be a breach of Protocol 2 of the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The latest Freedom of Information statistics were published in December 2016 and are available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/freedom-of-information-statistics-july-to-september-2016--2

Cabinet Office

Voting Behaviour

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to increase voter engagement and participation among those least likely to vote including (a) homeless and b) young people; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Skidmore: As part of my “Every Voice Matters” tour, I am visiting every nation and region of the United Kingdom to hear about the barriers that prevent some groups – including homeless and young people – from participating in the democratic system. We will publish lessonslearned later this year and work with partner organisations to respond to the issuesidentified.Specifically, I have visited Cambridge to meet with homelessness organisations and their clients to hear how the electoral registration system could better respond to their needs. We will continue to work with homelessness charities, such as Shelter and others to overcome barriers and help those with no fixed address to register to vote.

Electoral Register

Gerald Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of providing support for the National Voter Registration Drive.

Chris Skidmore: The Government supported National Voter Registration Day in 2015 and 2016. We will consider future requests for financial support to boost registration levels. We work closely with partners including the Electoral Commission to ensure people know how to register to vote and can do so easily.

Government Departments: Databases

Craig Tracey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to facilitate effective data-sharing across government.

Ben Gummer: The data sharing measures in the Digital Economy Bill will enable more effective data sharing to improve the public services and functions we deliver. In addition the Government Transformation Strategy sets out specific opportunities for improvement which will be overseen by a new Chief Data Officer and a Data Advisory Board.

Local Government: Property

Andrew Bingham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether he has plans to expand the One Public Estate programme.

Ben Gummer: We want to build on the success of One Public Estate and are on track to reach 95% of English councils by March 2018. We will be announcing a further funding round in April to support more opportunities to benefit​​ ​local communities in the coming years.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

Mark Garnier: Following her appointment on 13 July 2016 the Prime Minister established the Department for International Trade (DIT). The interchange of ideas and the critical challenge that those with external perspectives, including consultancies and consultants, can bring to policy and delivery of Government priorities is a critical element for good government. Short term expertise can inject targeted support at critical points ensuring value for money for the taxpayer. This department is committed to the benefits that can be brought from the interchange with other sectors, large employers and consultancies. At present the Department for International Trade has not had any staff seconded from the organisations listed since its formation in July 2016, but will consider secondees in future where appropriate.

Department for International Trade: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

Mark Garnier: TUPE regulations have the potential to apply to all contracts where there is a transfer of service from one provider to another. As such all contracts relating to services have the potential to fall within the scope of this legislation. The Department for International Trade was formed in July 2016 and since its creation 1 new contract has been identified may fall within the scope of the legislation.

Trade Agreements: Environment Protection

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what his policy is of the inclusion of environmental goods and services in future trade agreements.

Mark Garnier: Until the UK leaves the EU, we will remain subject to EU trade and investment agreements and policy, including the environmental provisions within trade agreements. The UK has long supported the promotion of our values globally and this will continue as we leave the EU. In addition, the UK is party to around 30 international environmental agreements and treaties in its own right and will continue to be bound by the obligations they contain. We also continue to support the EGA (Environmental Goods Agreement) which is being negotiated through the WTO, and hope that a successful conclusion to negotiations can be achieved as soon as possible.

Trade Agreements: Investment

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the Investment Court System; what the Government's policy is on that system; and what plans the UK has to promote that system to other countries as part of future trade agreements.

Mark Garnier: The Investment Court System (ICS) proposed by the European Commission represents a shift from the existing framework of dispute resolution, and we shall want to consider how it operates once it is implemented, to see if it delivers fairer outcomes, more quickly and at less financial cost than the current framework.As the UK develops an independent trade and investment policy, we shall be considering our approach to investment protection, including investor-state dispute resolution, for which the ICS is one model.

Trade Agreements: Data Protection

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether he plans to include cross-border data flows in a future trade agreement with (a) the US and (b) the EU.

Mark Garnier: The Government is working to deliver the best outcomes for the UK. We are exploring a range of options to maximise the opportunities for the UK’s future trade relations and will seek the best possible outcome for the UK as a whole.As part of plans for EU exit, we will consider carefully how best to maintain our ability to share, receive and protect EU data with other EU member states.Similarly, we will consider how to retain existing rights and obligations to foster transatlantic trade in digital information, products and services across sectors.

Department for International Trade: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted for the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

Mark Garnier: The Government believes that people have the right to a higher wage and not to be punished by higher taxes. As part of this, from April 2016, we introduced a new mandatory National Living Wage (NLW) for workers aged 25 and above, and this will rise to £7.50 an hour in April 2017. We insist that employers pay at least the National Minimum Wage.The use of the Living Wage as specified by the Living Wage Foundation is not information actively monitored by the Department. This information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for International Trade: Pay

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 1 March 2017 to Question 65002, what the pay grade is of the 24 civil servants if his Department employed in the commercial function team.

Mark Garnier: The Department for International Trade (DIT) has 24 civil servants in the dedicated Commercial function which from SCS to AO and includes 2 fast streamers.

Overseas Investment: Poland

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the total British foreign direct investment in Poland was in each of the last four years.

Mark Garnier: The value of UK Direct Investment Stock in Poland in each of the last four years is given in the table attached.



Attached Table
(Word Document, 13.62 KB)

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the primary and secondary legislative proposals likely to be required after ratification of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement in order to bring the trade deal into effect in law.

Mark Garnier: We anticipate that no specific UK legislation will be proposed after CETA has been ratified to bring the agreement into force in UK law.

House of Commons Commission

Parliamentary Organisations: Recruitment

John Spellar: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, how much has been paid since May 2015 to head hunters by (a) the House of Commons Commission, (b) the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, (c) the Inter-Parliamentary Union, (d) the British American Parliamentary Group and (e) any other body grant-funded by the House of Commons Commission.

Tom Brake: Since May 2015 the House of Commons Commission has made payments totalling £203,676 to Executive Search recruitment agencies (‘head hunters’). This includes fees for online and press advertising, where appropriate, for which the agencies pay and for which we reimburse them. I have asked the House authorities to send to the hon. Member contact details of the responsible officers of the grant-funded bodies so that he can seek that information from them. The Commission does not require them to report on any use of head hunters or the costs of any such use.

Department of Health

Department of Health: Secondment

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many staff have been seconded to his Department from (a) PwC, (b) Deloitte, (c) Accenture, (d) McKinsey & Co, (f) Ernst and Young and (g) Bain & Company since July 2016.

David Mowat: Since July 2016, one individual from Ernst and Young has been seconded to the Department.

NHS: Disclosure of Information

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what disciplinary actions may be taken against medical professionals who raise concerns on standards.

Mr Philip Dunne: No disciplinary action should be taken against medical professionals for raising concerns about standards. In doing so, individuals are protected under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Department of Health: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies require that the contractor pays those of its employees undertaking the work contracted for the real living wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation in each of the last three financial years.

David Mowat: The Government believes that people have the right to a higher wage and not be punished by higher taxes. As part of this, from April 2016, we introduced a new mandatory National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and above, and this will rise to £7.50 an hour in 2017. We insist that employers pay at least the National Minimum Wage. The Department may hold information, however a full and detailed search of all of its contracts it holds would be required and to do so would incur disproportionate cost. Responses from all of the Department’s Non-Departmental Public Bodies and its agencies, including special health authorities are as noted below: Health Education England has confirmed they hold nil contracts. NHS Digital does not hold this information centrally as there is no legal or policy requirement to do so. As such a full search of individual contracts would be required in order to answer this which would be time and cost disproportionate to conduct. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority does not collate this information. To provide an accurate response would involve checking all individual contracts entered into within the last three financial years. This would exceed the cost threshold. NHS Blood and Transplant does not hold information on the number of contracts which are paid at the Real Living Wage as defined by the Living Wage Foundation. NHS Blood and Transplant currently has a single contract where the National Living Wage is paid. NHS Business Services Authority has stated the number of contracts awarded in the last three years which contained requirements that contractors pay the real living wage was four. NHS England has stated this information is not collected or held centrally. The Health Research Authority has confirmed they hold nil contracts.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has stated there is no legal requirement though MHRA is currently taking this into account in tenders for new contracts.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has stated to provide an accurate response would involve checking all individual contracts entered into within the last three financial years. They estimate that this would exceed the cost threshold and therefore incur disproportionate costs. NHS Litigation Authority has stated to provide an accurate response would involve checking all individual contracts entered into within the last three financial years. They estimate that this would exceed the cost threshold and therefore incur disproportionate costs. There is no requirement for the Human Tissue Authority to collect and hold this information. To do so would incur disproportionate cost. NHS Improvement does not have any direct contracts (i.e. between Monitor/NHS Trust Development Authority and a supplier) that relate to the type of roles to which the real living wage is applicable. Public Health England (PHE) undertook a process in 2014 to ensure that all staff are being paid a minimum salary equal to, or above, the Living Wage. As such, PHE has no directly employed people earning less than the Living Wage. In 2015, PHE agreed to work with major suppliers to ensure that all outsourced services were paid at Living Wage. The Care Quality Commission has stated to provide an accurate response would involve checking all individual contracts entered into within the last three financial years. They estimate that this would exceed the cost threshold and therefore incur disproportionate costs.

Department of Health: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many contracts procured by his Department and its arms-length bodies are covered by TUPE regulations in each of the last three financial years.

David Mowat: The Department’s standard terms and conditions over £100,000 include clauses relating to Staff Transfer. To provide a specific number would involve manually checking each contract and therefore would attract a disproportionate cost. Responses from all of the Department’s Non-Departmental Public Bodies and its agencies, including special health authorities are as noted below. NHS Digital does not hold specific information relating to Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE) for its contracts, however, as TUPE is a point of law all contracts are covered by the regulations. Health Education England have stated it does not hold specific information relating to TUPE for its contracts, however, as TUPE is a point of law all contracts are covered by the regulations. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority does not collate this information. To provide an accurate response would involve checking all individual contracts entered into within the last three financial years. This would exceed the cost threshold. NHS Blood and Transplant - there are 71 service contracts which have had the potential to incur TUPE costs during the last three years. However NHS Blood and Transplant has not incurred any costs related to these contracts being transferred from one contracted supplier to another. NHS Blood and Transplant are unable to provide a three yearly breakdown. NHS Business Services Authority has identified the number of contracts awarded in the last three financial years containing TUPE provisions was 24 and the number of contracts awarded in the last three years which actually involved TUPE was six. NHS England has stated this information is not collected or held centrally. The Health Research Authority have confirmed they hold nil contracts.The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency have stated contracts where TUPE regulations have applied include the contract for catering and outsourced work carried out by the Laboratory of the Government Chemist.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have stated to provide an accurate response would involve checking all individual contracts entered into within the last three financial years. They estimate that this would exceed the cost threshold and therefore incur disproportionate costs. NHS Litigation Authority have stated to provide an accurate response would involve checking all individual contracts entered into within the last three financial years. They estimate that this would exceed the cost threshold and therefore incur disproportionate costs. The Human Tissue Authority does not record this information. The cost incurred to extract this information would be disproportionate. NHS Improvement is aware of two contracts (only for Monitor and none for the NHS Trust Development Authority) within the three year financial period where employees were considered to be potentially within scope for TUPE but this was for the suppliers to confirm. NHS Improvement would have to ask each supplier to confirm how many staff actually TUPE’ed on each occasion as they are not ordinarily involved in these detailed discussions as the client. Seeking and receiving confirmation of the actual numbers would take a significant time to confirm. Therefore it is essential to note the contract numbers provided below are potentially covered by TUPE regulations but cannot be confirmed as yet.2014/15 – Nil2015/16 – One2016/17 - OnePublic Health England have confirmed this data is not centrally held.The Care Quality Commission have stated to provide an accurate response would involve checking all individual contracts entered into within the last three financial years. They estimate that this would exceed the cost threshold and therefore incur disproportionate costs.

Clinical commissioning groups: Buildings

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2017 to Question 63650, on clinical commissioning groups: buildings, whether the additional £127 million to fund the increase in costs is for 2016-17 only.

Mr Philip Dunne: The £127 million is a permanent uplift to the NHS England mandate. NHS England has proposed to increase clinical commissioning group (CCGs) budgets to reflect these cost pressures in 2016/17 and 2017/18. Thereafter, and in common with all other elements of funding, NHS England is proposing to include this in the general funding allocation for CCGs as it does not generally allocate funding on the basis of specific costs, for example property costs.

Accident and Emergency Departments: Leeds

Richard Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to paragraph 5.7 of the Spring Budget 2017, what estimate he has made of how much of the £100 million funding for capital investment in accident and emergency departments in 2017-18 will be allocated to (a) Leeds General Infirmary and (b) St James' Hospital, Leeds.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department will manage the approval of funding to accident and emergency (A&E) departments based on recommendations from NHS England and NHS Improvement, according to the merit of individual bids made and the impact they will have on managing A&E pressures.

Health Services

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he plans to publish the Mandate to NHS England as required under section 13A(7) of the National Health Service Act 2006

David Mowat: The Government’s mandate to NHS England for 2017-18 was published and laid before Parliament on 20 March 2017, ahead of coming into force on 1 April 2017.

Defibrillators: North West

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate has been made of the number of public-access defibrillators in (a) Pendle, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West.

David Mowat: The Department does not hold figures on this. However, the British Heart Foundation was awarded £1 million by the Department in both 2015/16 and 2016/17 to invest in public access defibrillators. NHS England’s National Clinical Director for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention is supporting the British Heart Foundation in its work to identify the location of public access defibrillators. The aim is to establish a national database and to make this available to ambulance services.

NHS Property Services: Community Health Partnerships

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2017 to Question 63652, on NHS Property Services Communities Health Partnerships, whether a business case was prepared to support the plans to establish a new NHS property organisation.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department is developing plans to establish a new National Health Service property organisation, in response to early recommendations made by Sir Robert Naylor’s ongoing review of the NHS estate. We are committed to ensuring that the new organisation fully supports and reflects the needs and priorities of the NHS. Further details on the proposed new organisation are currently being developed, and these details will be set out in a business case to Department of Health Ministers in due course.

NHS Trusts: Private Finance Initiative

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps he is taking to assist hospital trusts to reduce or restructure costs borne as a result of private finance initiatives.

Mr Philip Dunne: We are providing the seven worst affected trusts with Private Finance Initiative (PFI) schemes, access to a £1.5 billion support fund over a period of 25 years; funding started from 2013-14. One of the first things this Government did in 2010 was to launch a review of the previous Government’s PFIs and begin an initiative to extract savings and better value for money at all the PFI contracts they had signed and are now open. In 2014 it was reported that trusts had negotiated validated savings worth over £250 million on their contracts. This savings work is ongoing, with Departmental officials helping local trusts as required.

Accident and Emergency Departments: General Practitioners

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what criteria he plans to use to allocate the funds announced in the Spring Budget 2017 for GP surgery co-location in hospital accident and emergency departments.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department will manage the approval of funding to accident and emergency (A&E) departments based on recommendations from NHS England and NHS Improvement, according to the merit of individual bids according to the impact they will have on managing A&E pressures. This may include, for example, bids from trusts to provide additional permanent or temporary buildings and/or better use of existing space to allow general practitioners to locate next to A&Es. The allocations for successful bids will be agreed in the next five weeks.

Medical Records: Internet

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, when he expects patients to be able to access their own full medical records online.

Nicola Blackwood: From 1 April 2016, the NHS Mandate required all general practitioner (GP) practices to offer patients online access to their medical record which includes items such as allergies, adverse reactions, medications, test results, problems and diagnoses and immunisations. Approximately 95% of GPs are able to offer this service to patients subject to appropriate safeguards to ensure compliance with information governance legislation.

Department of Health: Procurement

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2017 to Question 66400, what the pay grade is of the 11.5 civil servants of his Department's contract management team.

David Mowat: The pay grades of the 11.5 civil servants in the Department’s contract management team is as follows: GradeNumber of PostsSCS 116373SEO3HEO1EO0.5 National pay range: GradeMinimumRecruitment and Development CeilingUpper RateMaximumAO£17,988£18,507£20,567£20,567EO£22,088£22,724£25,436£26,775/£28,112*HEO£27,295£28,082£32,125£33,816SEO£34,696£35,696£40,156£42,269GRADE 7£46,672£48,017£55,552£58,476GRADE 6£58,804£60,500£67,958£71,535SCS1£64,000--£117,800*Denotes frozen salary points to accommodate existing staff (in post at 31 July 2006) in transition to new scales, based on market analysis. These rates cease to exist once an existing member of staff has been promoted. Outer London pay range: GradeMinimumRecruitment and Development CeilingUpper RateMaximumAO£19,791£20,362£21,817£21,817EO£23,891£24,474£27,186£28,525HEO£29,097£29,832£33,875£35,566SEO£36,498£37,446£41,906£44,019GRADE 7£48,474£49,767£57,302£60,226GRADE 6£60,607£62,250£69,708£73,285SCS1£64,000--£117,800 Inner London pay range: GradeMinimumRecruitment and Development CeilingUpper RateMaximumAO£21,595£22,217£23,567£23,567EO£25,693£26,224£28,936£30,275HEO£30,901£31,582£35,625£37,316SEO£38,301£39,196£43,656£45,769GRADE 7£50,278£51,517£59,052£61,976GRADE 6£62,411£64,000£71,458£75,035SCS1£64,000--£117,800

NHS: Reorganisation

Dr Sarah Wollaston: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many of the groups responsible for each of the 44 sustainability and transformation plans are consulting with schools and colleges in the development of those plans.

David Mowat: Local areas are responsible for engaging with the staff, patients and the public, as well as organisations which may include schools and colleges. This information is not held centrally.

Eyesight

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of devising a national strategy for eye health.

David Mowat: There are no plans to develop a national strategy for eye health. NHS England and the Department contribute to and support the current voluntary sector led England Vision Strategy. Given the size of England, and the diversity of the health needs of different communities, we believe commissioning needs to be owned and managed locally. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are responsible for commissioning hospital eye services and are also able to commission eye care services in the community which go beyond the standard National Health Service sight test where they judge them to be needed in their areas. CCGs are required, for all services they commission including ophthalmic services, to carry out an assessment of the health needs of their local population using the standard joint strategic needs assessment approach. Improving the commissioning of services is one way that we expect to see improvements for patients and the Clinical Council for Eye Health Commissioning is working with CCGs to develop commissioning guidelines in this area.

Visual Impairment

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what his Department's most recent estimate is of the number of people in England and Wales living with sight loss; and how that data is collected.

David Mowat: The information requested for England is shown in the table below. Data in respect of Wales would be a matter for its administration. Number of people registered as blind or partially sighted as at 31 March 2014(Data for England only) Number of people registered as at 31 March1BlindPartially SightedTotal2014143,385147,715291,100Source: NHS Digital Notes:1. Data are rounded to the nearest five. The data is derived from the triennial SSDA 902 return submitted by local authorities with adult social services responsibilities. The next data collection will take place in 2017. Local authorities maintain registers of blind or partially sighted people who have received a Certificate of Vision Impairment (CVI) following an examination by a consultant ophthalmologist. Holders of a CVI choose whether or not to be included in their local authority’s register of blind or partially sighted people. The numbers registered are therefore likely to be an underestimate of the total number of people living with sight loss.

Eyesight: Medical Treatments

Nusrat Ghani: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to promote patient choice with respect to eye treatment.

David Mowat: Eye (ophthalmic) treatment is largely delivered in secondary care with some services also offered in the community. Patient choice applies to ophthalmic treatment services as it does to any other NHS service commissioned by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). Unless specified exclusions apply this means for secondary care that upon referral patients must be offered a choice of any clinically appropriate health service provider, with whom the NHS has a contract for the service required. NHS England are currently working with CCGs, general practitioners, patients and the public to improve patient choice in respect of all secondary care services, including ophthalmic services, by 2020. The aim is to increase awareness, uptake and operation of patient choice across the NHS, leading to improvements in patient outcomes and experience.

Social Services: Pay

James Cartlidge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what representations he has received on changes in the costs of social care arising from changes in the way in which care workers are paid for sleep-in shifts.

David Mowat: We have received a number of representations on this subject including correspondence from United Response, Mencap and a range of stakeholders.

NHS: Per Capita Costs

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2017 to Question 61257, what the real term percentage change in the funding his Department allocates to the NHS per capita will be, standardised for ageing, (a) excluding and (b) including the (i) net transfer of NHS funds to local authorities via the Better Care Fund and (ii) the effect of the new pension uplift in 2016-17.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department does not hold information on standardised spend per capita. NHS England issue health resources via specific funding formulas which include weightings for age. Full details are available on their website. A weighted capitation formula is used by NHS England to set target shares of the national health budget for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The weighted capitation formula assesses the relative need per head for health care services across the country adjusted for differences in unavoidable costs. The following link gives full details of the methodology from 2016-17.https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/3-rep-elland-all-sections.pdf

NHS: Per Capita Costs

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2017 to Question 60414, what the real terms per capita growth in funding his Department allocates to NHS England, standardised for an ageing population, will be in each financial year to 2020-21 excluding the (a) net transfer of NHS funds to local authorities via the Better Care Fund and (b) effect of £900 million of new pension costs in 2016-17.

Mr Philip Dunne: The Department does not hold information on standardised spend per capita. NHS England issue health resources via specific funding formulas which include weightings for age. Full details are available on their website. A weighted capitation formula is used by NHS England to set target shares of the national health budget for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). The weighted capitation formula assesses the relative need per head for health care services across the country adjusted for differences in unavoidable costs. The following link gives full details of the methodology from 2016-17.https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/3-rep-elland-all-sections.pdf

Children: Exercise

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department takes to provide advice to parents and carers on ensuring primary school-aged children undertake the recommended amount of physical activity each day.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government’s Childhood Obesity Plan sets out a range of actions to promote physical activity in primary school aged children. In terms of advice to parents, Change4Life is Public Health England’s flagship social marketing programme aiming to inspire a social movement, through which government, the National Health Service, local authorities, businesses, charities, schools, families and community leaders could all play a part in helping children to eat well and move more and specifically that children need 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Change4Life Sports Clubs are specifically targeted at the least active young people. They are run as extracurricular clubs held at lunchtimes and after school and use sport as a vehicle to promote physical activity, health and wellbeing.

Healthy Start Scheme: Ashfield

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many Healthy Start Scheme vouchers were issued in Ashfield constituency in 2016.

Nicola Blackwood: There were 68,152 Healthy Start vouchers issued in Ashfield in 2016.

Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group: Finance

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how much funding Croydon Clinical Commissioning Group received for core services in each year since 2010.

Mr Philip Dunne: Health funding was provided by primary care trusts (PCTs) from 2010/11 until 2012/13 and since 2013/14 has been provided by clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) (excluding public health). Public health funding has been provided by local authorities, rather than the National Health Service, since April 2013. It is not possible to directly compare allocations for PCTs with CCGs as the geographical boundaries and the commissioning responsibilities have not remained constant over time. The following tables illustrate the relevant allocation figures for Croydon PCT and Croydon CCG since 2010. Croydon PCT allocations 2010/11 to 2012/13Croydon PCTTotal Revenue Allocation – including NHS and public health funding (£000s)2010/11553,8362011/12577,3262012/13593,409  Croydon CCG allocations 2013/14 to 2016/17Croydon CCG*Actual allocation for core CCG services – not including public health funding (£000s)2013/14392,4222014/15406,3562015/16434,1642016/17467,031 * The CCG figures show the published allocation for each year and do not take account of in-year or non-recurrent adjustments.

Children: Sports

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what steps his Department is taking to encourage secondary school-aged girls to take part in sport and physical activity.

Nicola Blackwood: The Childhood Obesity Plan commits to supporting all children to achieve at least 60 minutes physical activity each day as recommended by the Chief Medical Officers. Schools are identified within the Plan as a setting where all children and young people can be supported to increase their levels of physical activity. The resource “What Works in Schools and Colleges to increase physical activity” sets out how schools can take a whole school approach. In the Government’s Sports Strategy, Sport England’s remit was extended to children aged five-15. Their new funding strategy responds accordingly for out of school activity. Everybody Active Every Day is the national physical activity framework. The Two Years On report includes practice examples with secondary school age girls.Rise Above is a social marketing programme that aims to build resilience in girls and boys aged 11-16; aiming to prevent risky behaviours and empower them to make positive choices for their physical and mental health. The programme is delivered online and includes content that encourages physical activity as a means of relieving stress.

Obesity: Children

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what guidance his Department provides to the parents of obese children on healthy eating and achieving a healthy weight.

Nicola Blackwood: The Government issued its Child Obesity Plan in August 2016 which sets out wide ranging action across government to tackle child obesity. Through the National Child Measurement Programme, children have their weight status checked in Reception and Year Six. Most parents then receive their child’s result along with information about action they can take as a family, and where to access further advice and support.Change4Life is Public Health England’s flagship social marketing programme aiming to inspire a social movement, through which families, as well as community leaders, government, the National Health Service, local authorities, businesses, charities, and schools, could all play a part in helping children to eat well and move more.The Change4Life website also supports the National Child Measurement Programme by providing advice for parents concerned about their child’s weight with ideas for how to help children be a healthy weight.

Obesity: Children

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how Government steps to tackle childhood obesity differ between areas of low obesity and more deprived areas with higher levels of obesity.

Nicola Blackwood: Our childhood obesity plan Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action addresses inequalities through a number of measures. The soft drinks industry levy and reformulation programme are expected to help reduce childhood obesity for those with lower incomes. Our plan also delivers school based interventions including the expansion of healthy breakfast clubs for schools in more deprived areas through £10 million per year funding from the soft drinks industry levy. Public Health England (PHE) is also supporting actions to improve the health of the most disadvantaged groups fastest and address the social determinants of poor health. This includes influencing and supporting efforts by local government, clinical commissioning groups and other local bodies to take action to reduce inequalities through the provision of accessible data and data tools, support to a health and health equity in all policies approach in local government through training and resources, and embedding health inequalities dimensions into all PHE led major health improvement programmes. Childhood Obesity: A Plan for Action is available at:www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/546588/Childhood_obesity_2016__2__acc.pdf

Pharmacy: Equality

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect of the removal of pharmacists' right to conscientious objection on the diversity of people entering that profession.

Mr Philip Dunne: The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is the independent regulator for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and pharmacy premises in Great Britain.The GPhC has informed us that they are are currently analysing the responses to their recent consultation on religion, personal values and beliefs in delivering person-centred care. The GPhC will then make a decision on any changes to standards for pharmacy professionals.

Influenza: Vaccination

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what assessment he has made of the findings in respect of the potential link between the pandemic, vaccination and narcolepsy of the study, Risk of narcolepsy in children and young people receiving AS03 adjuvanted pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine: retrospective analysis, published in the British Medical Journal in 2013.

Nicola Blackwood: The potential association between AS03 adjuvanted pandemic A/H1N1 2009 influenza vaccine and narcolepsy is a consideration in on-going legal proceedings so it would not be appropriate to comment at this stage.